Rachel Bailey - Return of the Secret Heir

April stepped forward, looking every inch the superstar, with her caramel-and-honey hair styled and glossy, her matching caramel eyes bright. “I think I’d better go and take my place now, too. Are you sure there’s nothing you want before I go?”

“No, I’ll be fine.” Pia said, squeezing April’s hand. “My sisters are here and Macy will be back in a moment.”

April kissed Pia’s cheek. “You look beautiful. JT will be knocked out when he sees you.”

Pia smiled, still not quite believing she was acquiring such a large and wonderful new family through this marriage.

As April left, she passed Macy coming the other way, and they paused for a brief hug. Macy grasped Pia’s hand when she reached her.

“Every time I see you in that dress, I’m impressed all over again that you made it yourself.” Macy looked down at her own dress and across at Pia’s sisters. “Or these dresses. They’re stunning.”

The dresses had turned out even better than Pia had imagined. She’d wanted the three bridesmaids and April in blues and greens to harmonize with the sky, trees and ocean around the hotel, and had made a light, almost transparent overlay that would move with the sea breeze. Every stitch was from her own hand, and had allowed for lots of bonding time with her new sisters-in-law during fittings, which was a better outcome than the dresses themselves. And they’d discussed her ideas for a little store that sold Pia Baxter originals-with Macy’s business brain and April’s contacts, it was off to a great start.

Macy exchanged greetings with Pia’s sisters, then turned back to Pia. “I’ve settled Georgia down with Ryder’s mother. She’s sitting with Theresa, so the babies can see each other.” She looked pensively toward the doorway. “You were right, you know. Those babies are healing the harsh feelings.”

Pia’s heart filled with even more joy. “I’m so glad.” It helped that Ryder’s mother had never heard of Theresa until the past year, so had no built-up animosity. She’d even told Pia she felt bad for what Theresa had gone through at her husband’s hand, and they now had a tentative friendship. Pia had invited them all today-every member of her new, unconventional family, and they’d all accepted.

“It might take a bit longer for Seth’s and Ryder’s mothers to settle their differences,” Macy said, “but they’ve come a long way already to both be at this ceremony.”

Pia’s eldest sister popped her head out the door in the direction of the marquee. “They’re getting April ready. I think it’s almost our cue.”

“Nervous?” Macy asked.

“Yes,” Pia said, holding up her trembling hand. “I don’t know why, though, I can barely wait to marry that man.”

“I was nervous when I married Ryder, too.” A faraway expression drifted across Macy’s face-she was obviously remembering that day. “I think it’s just because we want everything to go perfectly, and the excitement.”

The string quartet started to play, then April’s voice floated on the air in a sweet melody. Pia’s sisters gave her a quick hug, then walked out the door, bouquets at chest height, and proceeded toward the marquee. Heart racing, Pia watched them go and clutched tighter to her own posy of bright purple blooms.

Macy tossed her a broad smile, then followed the other women out the door.

“I thought they’d never leave.” The deep voice that came from the shadows made her shiver.

“I wondered when you would show up,” she said as she turned to the man she loved with all her heart. “You’re cutting it close.”

He grinned his crooked grin as he slipped an arm around her waist. “Somehow I don’t think they’ll start without us.”

They’d decided to walk up the aisle together, starting their marriage side by side, just as they intended to live it, but seeing him standing in front of her in his three-piece suit, she wondered at the wisdom of their choice-she just wanted to melt into him, not walk outside.

She took a deep breath, hoping it would restore sanity. “Maybe not, but April is out there singing the song she wrote for us,” she said, her heart skipping a beat as he leaned in, his breath warm on her face.

“And we don’t want to deprive the audience from hearing it in its entirety.” He feathered a kiss across her lips.

Sanity fled. “You make a good point.” She pulled him close, her breathing ragged. “But we also don’t want to mess up my lipstick just before our own wedding.”

“You can fix it for the photos,” he murmured, a breath away from her lips.

Pia looked into his beautiful, vibrant green eyes and examined her choices-to walk up the aisle with lipstick on her lips, or with the taste of JT on them. Not a hard decision when put like that. She twined her arms around his neck and captured his mouth. But before the kiss could become heated, the sound of someone clearing their throat brought her back to her senses. She dragged her mouth away from JT’s and looked up to find the hotel’s manager, Oscar, delicately staring down at his shoes.

“Now might be a good time,” Oscar said, diplomatically. “Before April runs out of words to sing.”

Pia laughed as she wiped her thumb over JT’s sensual lips, removing any trace of her pink lipstick.

“Thank you, Oscar,” JT said, then turned to Pia. “Shall we?”

“Love to,” she said, and they walked to the door and out over the grass, hands firmly grasped together.

The snowy white marquee was bursting with people on white chairs with bows at the back. Her mother and father watched her from the front row, much happier that she was marrying a wealthy property developer than they’d ever been about her relationship with a teenage boy from the wrong side of the tracks. Any final resistance had melted when they first held Thomas. Beside her parents were her sisters’ husbands, who were surrounded by their children. Pia smiled at them, then blew a kiss to Thomas, snug in Theresa’s arms, who waved his fists in the air when he caught sight of his parents.

“As gorgeous as his mother,” JT whispered as he threw their son a broad smile.

Up ahead, at the end of the aisle, Pia’s sisters and Macy were on one side, and Ryder, Seth and JT’s attorney, Philip Hendricks, on the other. In the year since she’d called JT’s half brothers to that meeting, a slow-growing bond had been developing between the three men. They weren’t yet golfing buddies, but they could hold a conversation and share a joke. She-along with April and Macy-had high hopes for what the future would bring the brothers.

JT paused and turned her to him. “I just want you to know,” he said, the love in his eyes unmasked, “I love you, princess. I’ve always loved you.” He pulled her hands to cover his chest. “You’re my heart.”

She pressed her lips together in an attempt to stem the tears that threatened, but one slipped out and JT brushed it from her cheek. Then she gave up fighting an unwinnable war and let the others follow the path of the first. “I love you, too, JT Hartley. And I know with everything inside me, this love will keep growing forever.”

Then in front of their friends and family, before they’d even made it to the top of the aisle, JT hauled her against him and kissed his bride.